Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-04

Virgin and Child took refuge III a hollow
recess of its mighty trunk, and that a
spider concealed the aperture with his
web. Two Arabs here wrangled FOR ~
minutes OF our stay. as to who should re-
ceive the Dackshish, amounting to about
five cents. Such war Of words and
angry OSCILLATIONS | have but seldom
witnessed-one swearing that by the
beard of his grandfather the other was q
thief and dog. the other calling on
Allah to send blindness and fever Oh the
family of the first Our dragoman who
interpreted the billingsgate for us. ex-
ercised his own Judgment in beStowlng
the trifing coin, but we left them hard
at it. / have seen at least Il dozen quar-
rels amongst the Arabs, but only on two
occasions did they come TO blows and
then struck only with the open hand.
OF course the pyramids are the great
attraction that serves as loadstone TO
draw visitors from many a foreign shore.
They commence about nine miles from
Cairo on the west side of the Nile, and
border the Sibyan desert for a distance
of twenty-five miles. but IN these pages
shall take no notice of any except the
three lying nearest to Caro-, called the
pyramids of Gizeh. and the step pyra-
mid OF Sakkara, standing about ten miles
further south. We crossed the Nile on
the splendid iron bridge. whose four
corners are surmounted by colossal lions
OF bronze. thence nearly the whole way
to GiZeh the road runs on an embank-
ment thickly shaded by the interlacing
branches OF the acacia tree.
AS we arrive at the base of the largest
pyramid, called Cheops for whom it was
built as tomb 3,100 years b. c., q
swarm of Arabs gather around us,
eagerly offering their services tC
assist us in mounting its giddy summit
I selected three assistants for myself and
four for Mrs. s.. and with oozing cour-
age we allowed them to seize our hands.
Fortunately they speak English 50 as to
be understood. and my fellows take the
advance. at first | was inclined to helI
myself. but as we slowly progressed, and
| the exertion began to tell on my mind
and muscles. | abandoned all self reli
ance and allowed them to earn THEN
! money. When about half way up
called a halt. | am not ashamed to con
| fess that | was tuckered out and wanted
| a few moments to recover from the faint
| ness and palpitatiOn of the heart which
| had seized me. Ny right hand helper
| assured me that he was doctor" anc
| Straightway began TO deiuge me with
water carried lii an earthen bottle by the
| booster or man who followed behind
The effect was magical, and after one
more brief breathing spell, | stood on tbs
top of the tallest pyramid gazing down
ward at the party who had Mrs. S
in tow. who presently planted
her feet along side Of mine
apparently none the worse for the ven
| ture.
We spent about thirty minutes on the
summit, from whence an enviabie view
OF all the surrounding country is ob
| tanned. To the east is the Nile valley
much of it now submerged, but still ;
picture that calls out expressions of en-
! thusiasm. Northward the same aspec
| greets the eve; southwark the date palms
appear in the density of a forest. West
ward what a strange contrast. The des-
( olatiOn OF the grave is here. spreading
out in wavelike sand hills reaching t
/ the bounds of the horizon-the grea
! Iibvan desert. in which there IS neithe
life nor hope. The present perpendicu
| lar height Of this pyramid Is AL feet
The steps vary in height from two and ;
half to four feet. The perpendicuia
surface of these steps is not smoOtl
| granite. as | supposed. but enOrmOu
| blocks Of limestone crumbling away her
and there like the 2lkaii bricks in SOM
of our walls. There IS room OF
the top of this pyramid for quit
a large party of plc-nicker
the surface being something ike thirty
six feet square. On the soft Limestonr
that at present crowns the summit
thousands Of tourists have cut thei
names. those Of English and american
,redominating to the almost total exclu
sion Of all other natiOnalities.
I The descent was made in a hurry. bu
for two or three days afteryalu We fel
the effects Of if in our limbs to such a.
extent that Iocomotion was painful. .
course we went into the 1c3g. low an
narrow passage tnat leads Into TIA
tomts n the center Of the pyramid bu
the close. noisome air permitted Of onil
brief STAY. FIRST Won reascend TIA
pyramid on the outside about fifty feet
then crawl into a hole 8 i-@x4 feet an'
slide downwarls sixty feet, then y0g
crawl up about 120 feet. This bring
NCu 20 q Hp1IF EDf1sI 49, Siitt>-l IL
square called the queen chamber. Ii j
now for rent. Cropping YOU
way hack for some distanc
vou observe by the fiickerini
light Of tallow dip anoihe
incline plane This Is the grand hal
that leads to the kings chamber, whlcl
Is double in size 70 that IF the queen 5
and Is vacant Ike that excepting a saE
! cophagus minus the lid. After one Is
done Cheops he has lost all interest .
the other two. and now remains for q
To investigate except some outlying roc
tognbs, which we also emit, and To
sphinx What superb naHsolena ib0s
ancient Egyptian kings Constructed
which n preserve their n4uInulied re
mains a period 81 four thousand years
when. according 10 the belief they held
the body would again ~ reils.t'lllia;esi b
tise retgirn q the absent ss5sls- Think .
the kinzrs who i:e in state ~ baaak WA
4 inE ~ when the four thousand year
iaays. expired 70 'se hrnlillassEg cfsl
sg-fyasness that for seyea Enntiresl gsssK
previously tla.ir bodies lz.-a ~sn exllil
ted IN a lsz4ls-zssn "a; half 8 szEc . bend
Tie -.ssocioT isssd 81 .Aisgs- .yes.s1 fs-stssg
Ing IA FOR the sake ~ faess tzag. Eslasah .
Bss hIs cau9els fer the slsoEi rssse 10 &c